Never Assume
by The Memoirest
Summary: There are two new girls in the Night Class: a cute-obsessed aristocrat and an emotionless "pureblood." The aristocrat and Hanabusa spell trouble, but the "pureblood" and Kaname's entwined past seem to spell something worse: danger. KanamexOC, HanabusaxOC. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue: Kurosu Academy

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri  
**A/N:** Hello, hello, and welcome to Never Assume! This has been on my mind for a long time (trust me, I have bits and pieces of it written in four different notebooks), but I've never really had the courage to post it. So . . . here it is. Enjoy! (Oh, and I apologize for the length. I've never been good at keeping things going.)

**Last Re-Post Date:** Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011  
**Second A/N:** Okay, so it's been over two years since I've started this thing, and I'm nowhere near the end. For those of you who were around when I posted my author's note at the end of '09 or the beginning of '10, thank you so much for your support (and your scolding). I've really appreciated it. I thought I gave Never Assume up for good, but—thanks to one very spirited friend—I'm proud to say I'm making my comeback! Please support me and keep me accountable. Thanks so much!

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"_This won't hurt one bit, Emi-chan. I promise."_

_I knew this adolescent was a monster, a _bakemono _—the sadistic pleasure in his voice was obvious as he bent over my arm—but I kept trying to persuade myself he was still the sweet newspaper boy. The one who smiled at me with that kind little grin when he biked to my uncle's driveway before the sun even awakened. The one who picked flowers for me because he knew how they made me smile. I wanted to believe he was still the angel his name said he was._

_People used to joke about his name, Tenma Tenshi—angel demon. They said his mother named him "angel" to counteract the curse his father's family name would no doubt bring upon him. After all, what good would it be to call yourself and your family "demon"? His being an academic prodigy didn't help either; they thought it was unnatural for someone so young to be able to calculate mathematics so quickly. They had no idea how right their suspicions were._

"_It'll be over in a little while. Just a few seconds, then we're done, okay?"_

_A desperate whimper escaped past the dirty gag over my mouth. _No,_ I begged. _No, please. Not again . . .

_The needle came closer, a clear liquid sloshing lazily around inside the transparent vial. Sterilized metal glinted off of a flickering lamp on the far side of the room. I watched with wide eyes as his thumb positioned itself to send the chemical flooding into my body. As much as I wanted to turn away, to hide in the furthest corner of the earth, I watched._

_The twelve-year-old genius blinked his deep red eyes, a moist tongue darting out to catch the dewy drops of perspiration edging down his sharp cheekbones. His dark hair was matted to his forehead, the humidity in the room sweating dark patches on his shirt._

_I blinked, my eyes working furiously to contain escaping tears. _No,_ I scolded myself. _You will not show fear._ His concentrated gaze met mine, and I thought I saw a flicker of emotion flash across the red abyss. Pity, maybe? Or remorse? It disappeared before I could put my finger on it._

_A gentle smile turned his pale lips upwards. His eyes warmed as he stroked the side of my face with the back of a cool hand. Under any other set of circumstances, I would have blushed and shyly turned away, especially from someone as handsome as he, but there, it was different. I flinched and tried to push his affectionate gestures away, my futile actions restricted by worn leather restraints that bound me to the metal table top._

_He noticed, sadness creeping into his eyes as he pulled his hand back, suddenly seeming more like the boy he would have been had someone not bitten him. Being the naïve little five-year-old I was, guilt immediately hit me: _Don't be sad, Tenshi-kun. It's okay.

"_Emi-chan . . ." I noticed then how he still called me by my birth name. My father changed it to "Kumori" a few weeks ago, but he, this boy I was renamed after . . . he still called me "Emi"._

_A tired sigh released itself from his body as he looked down at the table, avoiding my gaze. Regret and shame emanated from his lanky self. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. I'm sorry I made you afraid of me. I'm sorry for using you and for the experiments and . . ."_

_His voice trailed off in anguish. It was quiet for a few moments, the air thick with uncertainty. I laid on the table, not daring to breathe: I didn't want to break this defining moment silence. _Let me go, _I thought._ Please. No one has to know about any of this. Just let me go.

_He found his resolve a few moments later, his voice shaky and sounding on the verge of tears._

"_Forgive me."_

_There was a light prick in my arm. Then fire._

"_Shhh . . ." He tried to quiet my muffled screams and convulsing body with gentle words. "Emi-chan, I know it hurts now, but later it'll feel like nothing happened."_

_It burned. My body was burning, but I was drowning. There was so much rage in those few drops of clear liquid: rage and jealousy. They seemed to be shrieking, "How _could_ you? How _dare_ you?" My soul left my body, came back, and left again. Then I was numb. An ocean crashed onto my back, but my clothes were dry. Music sang up from the underworld, screeching dissonant cries until my ears bled. Fire sprung from the music, but I didn't singe._

_Nothing made sense anymore—I didn't even know if _I _made sense._

_Heart beating erratically, airway closing, vision fading and room spinning, I _knew_ he was no longer my sweet little newspaper boy._

.o.o.o.

". . . chan! Ku-chan!"

Someone was shaking my shoulder. I mumbled something incoherent—_Do I look like I'm not exhausted? _I wondered briefly—and turned my face away from the noise that someone was creating, hoping she would get the message.

That someone was very persistent, though. I was starting to miss the days when she was terrified at even the thought of waking me up. Now she will shamelessly dive into my bed in the evening to get me to "Rise 'n shine."

"Ku-_chan!_ Wake up!" Her voice was high and whiny, like a schoolgirl's out of one of those anime shows.

My white flag went up when my head almost ungracefully hit the tinted glass window, thanks to her furious shaking. "_Yes,_ Suzune?"

Cracking open an eye, I took in my live-in friend's worried appearance: creased brow, upside-down smile, and a short lock of hair that had been twirled one too many times around her jittery finger. Quite the opposite of her usual lively, carefree self. "What's wrong?"

Watering gold eyes popped into my line of vision, unnervingly close to my face. A childish pout forced itself onto Suzune's glossed lips—cherry flavored, from what I could smell.

"What d'you mean, 'What's wrong'? You were, like, hyperventilating in your sleep! _That's_ what's wrong!" After a few more moments of worried staring, she sat back into her leather seat, easing into a more serious expression. Her pout was replaced by a thin frown. "You okay, Kumori?"

I closed my eye, settling back into the comfortably sleepy darkness. My body relaxed and my breathing slowed, but Suzune knew I was thinking.

Am _I okay?_ The thought ran through my head, weaving silently through the fresh memories of the past few weeks: having dinner at that fancy restaurant with the flirtatious waiter, Suzune falling into the pool in her favorite cashmere sweater, paying off some fines of various grossly overdue library books . . .

"I—" Something caught at the answer I was going to give.

The party my father hosted.

The sudden return of my nightmares.

"I'm fine, Suzune."

She gave an unconvinced huff, crossing her arms over her nonexistent chest. The pout had come back. "You always say that."

I opened my eyes and shot her a small smile. "Stop worrying."

Her lips curved into a bright grin at my rare show of emotion, perfectly aligned teeth gleaming. Outside the luxury car, the sun moved directly behind Suzune's head, highlighting the shine of her short orange hair. She looked completely thrilled, like a little kid at her first circus.

"Okay, Ku-chan~!"

A comfortable silence fell. Only the soft purr of the car engine could be heard as I was allowed a few moments of peace. Gazing out the tinted windows, my eyes flickered over the landscape. Towering pine trees whizzed by at about ninety kilometers an hour, nothing but dark green blurs to human eyes—not that I was human. The impossibly bright sun was just starting to set, staining the sky orange and yellow.

Sheets of paper fluttered as I caught Suzune in my peripheral vision flipping through the information packet we were given. The rules and regulations listed in there were strict and enforced by a two-member "disciplinary committee". I knew why the headmaster took special precautions with his academy, but I couldn't help but think he was going just a bit overboard with the Guardians. Just how uncontrolled did he think we were?

Suzune tugged out something glossy she had stuck between two pages. "So Ku-chan, what do you think of the school?"

I threw a brief glance at the colorful brochure she held in her hands, scanning over the text yet another time. The Bookman Old Style print made the school seem very cozy and really bookworm-y. It seemed nice enough, certainly very extravagant from what I could tell from the pictures, but a certain kind of doubt lingered inside of me.

_Time and time again, fate has always brought me to wherever _he_ is, _I thought, an unnoticeable frown making its way to my face. _Fate or some god up there who really hates me._

"Well?" Suzune gave me an expectant look one would expect from a loyal golden retriever. I half expected to see a tail wagging behind her.

All I offered was, "It's safe," and left it at that, turning a blind eye to the disappointment rolling out in tidal waves from her petite body.

"Oh." The single syllable she let slip between her lips echoed her crestfallen expression, but I couldn't afford to tell her the real reason why my father sent us here.

Another pregnant silence fell, this time awkward. Several long moments passed, and I did nothing to fix it. To explain would take too long, and to comfort Suzune would be completely out of my character.

I hated this. I hated myself. _Why can't I be nice? _I internally fumed. _Why can't I be as good a friend as she is?_

Fortunately, Suzune didn't think twice about my slight. "Wow . . ." She pressed her face against the window, unaware her nose was going to leave a smudge. "Lookit that . . ."

An iron fence at least three times my height loomed over out little black car as it rolled to a stop, gravel crunching lightly underneath the tires. Beyond it stood a building that looked like it belonged in fifteenth century Romania, not modern-day Japan. Its white bricks were tainted pink by the setting sun; tall, ornamented spires reached up to the darkening sky, the tips only breaths away from the first shades of faded blue.

I got out of the car, Suzune clambering out quickly behind me. The air was clean and crisp, the sun now low enough where I didn't have to squint. My fingertips tried in vain to touch the tips of the spires as I stretched, working out the kinks in my back.

Suzune stood only a few steps away from the gate, gaping up at its size. She had to tilt her head all the way back just to get a glimpse of the top. I could hear her murmuring, "So _tall_ . . ."

The good natured chuckle I was about to release dissipated as soon as I glanced at the land behind the gate. A slight frown crossed my face. The foreboding aura surrounding the school grounds didn't sit well with me. Something about the way the trees casted long shadows over our little group and the way a breeze moved my hair sent a lasting chill down my spine. I pulled my scarf up over my nose as I glanced around warily. Call it women's intuition if you want, but I somehow knew I had stepped from the place where I was safely hidden behind stereotypes to a world where my very essence would be unraveled and put on display for all to see:

Kurosu Academy.


	2. 1: First Impressions

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri, Superwoman © DC Comics, Fruits Basket © Takaya Natsuki  
**A/N:** Hello! And thank you SOOO much for those that reviewed and alerted. It really meant a lot to me. (I was freaking out for two hours after I posted the prologue. My nerves were going crazy.) I'm really glad you're enjoying it. Here's the official first chapter! Enjoy! (Also, I realize Kaname is a little OOC at the end, but it will all be explained later! . . . hopefully.)

**Last Re-Post Date:** Saturday, May 7th, 2011  
**Second A/N:** So it's past midnight, and I'm still on my laptop typing away. This chapter should be re-posted before one. Wish me the best of luck falling asleep tonight! (Um, this morning.)

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**Suzune's POV  
**I stood in front of the Moon Dormitory's double doors, quietly fidgeting with the hem of my creamy white coat. A cool breeze blew fallen leaves around my feet, their brittle edges scraping in symphony against the ground. Autumn was quickly fading into winter—it wouldn't be long until the first snow fell.

Sighing, I stared worriedly at the brass knocker. Normally, I would be giddy and bouncing off the walls at the thought of meeting new people, but this time I just couldn't shake off the sense of dreadful apprehension. Something about this place was setting off blaring alarms. I didn't know what it was. I could tell Kumori was a little paranoid as well. She kept on glancing suspiciously around, her sharp eyes darting from one place to another.

Maybe it wasn't the school making me nervous: Kumori had been acting strange lately. She would be up in the middle of the day, sitting silently beside the window, a blank look on her face as she stared outside, her eyes not quite focused on any one thing. It worried me. _She_ worried me.

"Ku-chan . . ."

Kumori's dark, dark eyes met mine, her gloved hand poised over the knocker. A knitted black scarf covered most of her face, the color clashing harshly with her pale skin. Long hair the color of tar danced around her narrow shoulders in the breeze, only adding to her carefully maintained aura of mystery.

"Didn't I tell you to stop worrying?" Her soft words, slightly muffled, were barely audible, even of my vampire ears. I both loved and hated how well she could read me. I didn't have to tell her what I was thinking more than half the time—one glance at my face, and she just knew.

I threw her an embarrassed little grin. "Yeah."

She gave a small nod and knocked on the door, the brass ringing lightly in the air. I gripped the handle of my luggage until my knuckles turned white, tight with tension. The natural worrier in me came out. _What if they don't like us? What if the classes are too hard? What if they give us a lot of homework? What if we don't get any rest? What if the beds are too hard? What if we don't share a room? What if Kumori's with some creep? What would we do?_

One of the big doors opened and a blond head poked out. Kind green eyes glanced us over before the tall guy asked, "Are you the transfer students?"

The jitters disappeared. "Yep!" I smiled widely at him, the corners of my eyes creasing into little crescent moons.

"Oh, good." The guy smiled back and held the door open as Kumori and I dragged our luggage inside. "We're expecting you. I'm Takuma Ichijo, the Moon Dorm Vice President."

I shot him another smile accompanied by a childish, frantic wave. "Hi! I'm Suzune! Hawaido Suzune!"

Kumori pulled down her scarf and gave a short bow, her hair swinging down past her sharp nose. "Good evening. I am Kumori."

Ichijo returned the bow, smiling all the while. "Welcome to Kurosu Academy."

The Moon Dormitory was nice. A sparkling gold chandelier hung quietly from the high ceiling. Three Victorian couches sat in the middle of the foyer surrounding a low coffee table, which was situated on top of a thick Persian rug. Kumori was distracted by the first stars shining through from behind a large glass window.

"I'd like you to meet some people." Ichijo gestured to the couches were many of the Night Class sat and lounged around.

"This is Souen Ruka." A very pretty girl nodded stiffly at us from her seated position, crossing her long legs. Her cold eyes scanned over me first, then Kumori. They seemed to linger on her, as if she was sizing her up. My eyes narrowed slightly, and I stepped closer to Kumori. Ruka noticed, a brief scowl crossing her aristocratic face; she gave a light scoff and flipped her wavy blond hair over her shoulder. I glanced over at Kumori, but she was absorbed in taking off her gloves, one finger at a time, unfazed by Ruka's competitive actions.

"Akatsuki Kain." A tall redhead leaning against the wall raised his hand halfway and nodded, his red eyes flashing curiosity. They flickered between Kumori and Ruka before coming to rest upon me. I rolled my eyes in response, and a slight smile cracked on his thin lips.

"Senri Shiki and Touya Rima." A bored, bronze-haired boy and a delicate, blond, pig-tailed girl stared at us through half-lidded eyes. I smiled brightly at them, but their expressions stayed blank.

_Psh,_ I thought. _Party poopers._

"And Hanabusa Aido. He and Kain are cousins."

When he stepped forward, the first thought running through my mind was, _Oh, he's cute._ But that was before he took Kumori's hand, bent over, and lightly brushed his lips across her knuckles. Then the second thought was, _Oh, that's not cute._ And when he said, "Pleasure to meet you," in that deep, inviting voice with his ice blue eyes twinkling seductively through his long eyelashes, my third thought was, _Yep, he'd better step away if he wants to stay cute._

"Hey!" Aido reared back, dangerously beautiful eyes wide open in surprise as he clutched his hand to his chest. I smugly noticed a red mark starting to form on his fair skin. "What was that for?"

I quickly took advantage of the space now empty in front of Kumori and planted myself there, forming a sort of wall Aido would have to get through. "Back off of Ku-chan."

"Why?" He smirked, almost bringing me from my defiant Superwoman pose. "_Jea~_lous?"

I glared up at him, mentally cursing my shortness. _How can he take me seriously when he has to look down to see me?_ I complained to myself. What shot out of my mouth hinted nothing at it, though.

"No. I'm glad some dumb blond isn't hitting on me." I twisted around to see Kumori. "No offense, Ku-chan." She just blinked in response.

Aido's once playful eyes turned deadly, arrogant teasing demeanor gone. The temperature of the room dropped several degrees, and I felt the chill despite the warmth my coat trapped in. "Like you should be talking, Shorty. At least I'm more than hot enough to hit on someone and pull it off."

My jaw dropped. I lost track of what he said after he called me the S-word.

_Shorty . . ._

_Shorty . . ._

_Shorty . . ._

"You did _not_ just call me that." I could feel an eyebrow twitching as I breathed raggedly, trying to control my anger. A vase on the coffee table rocked unevenly back and forth. Some students standing near it sent it uneasy glances.

_C'mon, Suzune, calm down. Relax. The dumb blond is just trying to get on your nerves._ I took a couple of deep breaths to try to stamp out the spark of outrage.

"Oh, yeah?" Aido was sneering, enjoying his gibing far too much. His eyes were dancing, taunting me.

_Man, this guy just doesn't know when to shut up._

Kain, having the sense to see the whole thing was going too far, pushed himself off the wall. "Hanabusa . . ."

Ignoring his cousin, Aido continued. "What'cha gonna do about it? Shorty."

My fists clenched. The vase shattered, a million small pieces flying in a hundred different directions. There were some gasps and a few flinches from the peanut gallery.

I let out a disbelieving scoff. _Oh, _no,_ he didn't . . ._

"Suzune." Kumori's voice was soft, but I winced and ducked my head to avoid her disapproving stare, feeling a whole lot like the child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

_Ah, Ku-chan isn't happy with me, _I thought, waterfalls of tears mentally cascading down my cheeks._ I made her upset . . ._

As I was turning around to face Kumori, the metaphorical tail tucked between my legs, Aido tiptoed up behind me—I could hear the smirk on his lips—and whispered lightly in my ear, "Shorty."

The large glass window exploded as I whirled around and launched myself at him, forgetting about the long and elaborate apology I had planned just then for Kumori, dead bent on knocking him down to my height.

_Oh, it. Is. _On.

**Kumori's POV  
**"Should . . . should we stop them?"

I blinked slowly at Ichijo, a blank expression on my face. _. . . stop who?_ My incomprehension must have shown through because Ichijo hurriedly waved his hand at Suzune and Aido, his green eyes gleaming with worry.

_Oh, them._

Kain winced as one of Suzune's nails caught the side of his cousin's face, raking down an angry red line. It only seemed to tick Aido off even more though, as he consequently dived toward Suzune, grabbing a fistful of her hair. She let out a highly unladylike shriek and kicked his shin, winding him when he fell.

"Ku-Kumori-san?" Ichijo's voice trembled a bit as he watched Suzune childishly pull Aido's cheek with amazing strength for someone so small. I wouldn't be surprised if one side of his face was permanently stretchier than the other. "What should we do?"

I closed my eyes, listening for a moment to Suzune and Aido's grunts as they wrestled each other indignantly on the floor before answering.

"Aa." The single syllable fell out on a short sigh. _They'll be fine . . ._

Kain and Ichijo sweat dropped. _What does that mean?_

A heavy thud echoed throughout the foyer when Suzune fell back on her butt, having slipped on a slick piece of ice. "Cheater!" she accused, pointing an enraged finger at Aido. A jagged crack split the glass top of the coffee table he happened to be standing in front of.

He very maturely stuck at his tongue, a hand placed matter-of-factly on his cocked hip. "Hey, you never said we couldn't use our powers, Shorty."

I sighed, holding out a hand to help Suzune up. She took it, her small fingers gripping mine as she pulled herself up. Wide gold eyes met mine, cautiously gauging my reaction.

"That's enough, Suzune," I told her softly. She gave a slight pout but nodded nonetheless, her free hand smoothing down fly-away strands of her orange hair.

"_What is going on?"_

Aido immediately straightened himself, an embarrassed blush scattered across his cheeks. "Ah, K-Kaname-sama," he murmured with the rest of the Night Class in greeting. I noted how he stood behind his cousin's taller frame in an effort to hide himself from the pureblood gracefully descending the marble staircase, but that didn't stop the admonishing look sent his way.

"Are these our new students?" His voice was deep and flowed like pouring dark chocolate. It allured the other students, but I could hear a trace of sourness in his monotonous sentence and knew it was directed at me. Then, in my mind, I cursed fate or whichever god who sent me here.

"Yes, Kaname-sama." Ichijo stepped up to the side of us, his Vice Presidential duties having calmed him down. "This is Hawaido Suzune and—"

"Tsuki Kumori," Kaname finished for him, disdain very carefully laced between his words. "We are childhood friends."

I bowed shallowly at the waist, ignoring the hushed whispers of the rest of the Night Class and Suzune's surprised blink. "It is nice to see you again, Kuran-sama." _Can you tell I'm lying through my teeth?_

"Tsuki?" The vampires huddled into small groups, eyeing me nervously. "Another pureblood . . . ?"

To my right, I heard Kain quietly ask Ichijo, "Can Kurosu Academy handle two purebloods?" He could only reply back, with his eyes still trained on us, "We'll just have to see."

Suzune looked up at me, confusion gleaming in her big, puppy dog eyes. I realized her hand still held mine when she gave it a gentle squeeze, wordlessly asking if I was okay with Kaname. I wasn't, but I gave her an imperceptible nod anyway. A huge grin slid on her face as she turned to face the pureblood.

"Nice to meet'cha, Kaname-sama~!" she greeted, flinging one arm up in the air in a wave similar to that bunny guy from one of her favorite manga, _Veggie Basket_ or _Fruit Pot_ or whatever. "I'm Suzune, and I love anything cute! 'Specially putting Ku-chan into dresses! She gasped and clasped her hands together, one of them slipping from mine, eyes sparkling with excitement. "You should've seen her when she wore that white baby doll—"

Interrupting herself, she turned to me while sheepishly scratching the back of her head. "Ah, sorry, Ku-chan, but you really were very adorable."

I blinked, wondering why she was apologizing when realization hit me. _Oh, that. I remember that . . . Akio had a field day . . ._

Everyone else, however, was completely clueless. A wide range of question marks popped up in the air. "Why'd you say 'sorry'?" Aido asked bluntly, casually examining his nails as if he was inquiring the time of day. It poorly masked his curiosity. "It's just a dress."

"None ya business, Blondie!" Suzune shot back, glaring heatedly at said blond.

He crossed his arms, holding back a sharp retort in the presence of the Kuran pureblood. "No need to be so rude, Shorty," he muttered under his breath.

I pretended not to see the second glare Suzune threw Aido, choosing instead to focus on Kaname. It was an option I would rather not have been there, but what other choice did I really have? We locked gazes: one stony, the other emotionless. His deep brown eyes bore into mine, almost daring me to look away.

"Kumori-san." Kaname's voice broke the silence I just then noticed. "Come with me to my room; I wish to catch up on old times."

I didn't like his humorless smile or the stare promising a thousand painful deaths from Ruka, but, again, what other choice did I really have? If I rejected his offer, it would be suspicious and the rest of the Night Class would put me under careful watch. If I accepted, who knew what he had planned. Kaname had me backed into a corner and, judging by the smirk hidden behind his pale lips, he knew it.

"Of course, Kuran-sama."

I took a step to follow him, but a small hand caught my wrist. Suzune's stubborn eyes met Kaname's. "Where Ku-chan goes, I go."

I suppose I should have been touched by her loyalty, but inside, I was shaking my head. _This is the one time, Suzune, I would rather you stay behind._ Still, I did nothing to stop her from coming with me.

Her simple statement caused the Night Class to bristle. _The nerve of this girl!_ Ruka stormed towards us, her eyes blazing. "How _dare_ you—"

"Very well." Kaname's calm compliance stopped Ruka dead in her tracks, and she watched speechlessly as we walked past, following the pureblood to his room.

_I might as well be leading us to our deaths, _I thought morbidly as we silently walked down the wide corridor. An impending doom settled heavily onto my shoulders. Anxiety shining from Suzune's eyes, she slipped her hand back into mine. _You should have stayed in the foyer. You shouldn't have trusted me . . ._

The three of us stood in his large dorm, Kaname with his back to the big window, Suzune and I closer to one of the several tall bookshelves lining the wall. His king-sized bed, covered by enticingly comfortable red silk sheets, sat on the other side.

"Why are you here?" Kaname dropped all appearances now there were no more watching eyes, his tone cold and annoyance obvious. Suzune gaped a little at the sudden personality change. "I don't suppose you have a reason."

I brushed a lock of hair back behind my ear with my free hand, trying to keep my own frustration in check. _What is _up_ with this guy? He was so much nicer when we were kids._ "Suzune and I are here because my father sent us here."

Crimson eyes flashed our way in the dark room. Suzune moved closer to me, inconspicuously freeing my hand to slip my arm into her frightened grasp. "Ku-chan . . ."

"_Why_ did he send you here?"

"Why do you think he did?"

Kaname's glare pierced through me, a clear warning I was playing with fire. "I asked you first, Kumori." His voice was strained, his jaw locked and teeth gritted as his patience was tested. He slowly spelled out his question a second time. "Why did your father send you here?"

I considered lying for a moment, just to see if I could get away with it, but Suzune's shallow, shaking breaths urged me not to. Innocent blood on my hands was the last thing I needed.

"Because you are here, Kuran-sama."

A small paperweight on the desk beside us—expensive, no doubt—combusted, little fragments of glass shattering everywhere. Suzune let out a soft yelp and buried her face into my shoulder. I merely closed my eyes and let his anger subside.

Running a hand through his messy brown hair, Kaname sighed. "My apologies, Suzune-san—" She stiffened against me at the sound of her name. "—for scaring you."

Suzune peeked out from halfway behind me, nodding her head once to show she accepted his apology.

Kaname returned his attention to me. "I was under the assumption your father wanted you nowhere near me." The contempt back in his voice made me think about what had happened in my father's study two weeks ago.

"_Please do this for me, for my family," _my father had said. He was pleading, begging Kaname to understand. It made me wonder what he, a pureblood, couldn't get that Kaname could.

But Kaname had absolutely no desire to do whatever it was my father asked him to. _"Shall I go public about this?" _I remember his voice was cold and heartless, much different from the sweet, coaxing tone he used with me when we were little children. _"What will the nobles have to say about your prearranging a m—"_

My ears strained to hear any telltale noise in the sudden absence of sound. When I peered through the tiny crack provided by the unclosed door, Kaname's elegant face was whipped to the side, my father's hand high in the air—

I blinked away the memory. Kaname's calculating eyes were on me, watching my every movement as I bowed lowly, taking Suzune awkwardly down with me. "I apologize for his actions."

The girl still clinging to my arm raised one of her eyebrows curiously. I had left her behind at the party to follow my father when he pulled the pureblood aside.

"He is forgiven." The way he said it so smoothly and without hesitation made me wary. I knew something was up when he stood in front of me the next moment, his eyes flashing red. Suzune hid behind me, trading her hold on my arm for a two-handed death grip on the back of my jacket.

A slender thumb ghosted over my cheek as the rest of his hand cupped my face in a soft caress. My mind blanked when he gazed down at me, standing well inside my personal bubble. _Wh-what?_

"But he dares to have the audacity to send his daughter to my school after what we had talked about," Kaname hissed, his face twisting from angelic to demonic, elongated fangs peeking out through the words he spat, "_that_, I assume, cannot be forgiven."

Then the very hand holding my cheek so tenderly snapped my head to the right before I could register what was happening. The sound of sharp skin-on-skin contact echoed in the large dorm.

"Ku-chan!" Suzune instantly made to move in front of me, abandoning all fears of Kaname. I touched her forearm, and she stopped mid-step, tense reluctance shown well in her tight stance.

_So that's how you want to play, Kuran-sama,_ I thought, my eyes meeting his. _Well, I guess you'll have to teach me the rules._

"Never assume," I whispered.

Then I slapped him back.

Silence. We were all frozen, statues in the pureblood's room. What were we to do now?

Kaname was the first to move, slowly turning his head back to face me. I didn't know where to look, but his eyes drew mine to them like white on rice. Bracing myself for the glare of the century, his compassionate glance immediately threw me off guard.

_Where . . . where did this come from? _I didn't know what to think. _Certainly not from the backhand, I know that much. Why is he looking at me like that? Almost like . . . I just . . . _saved_ him . . ._

Suzune started tugging my arm towards the door soon after I felt Kaname's intense gaze. "C'mon, Ku-chan, let's go," she prompted. I let her lead me from the pureblood's dorm, sighing, very much disheartened as I gently rubbed my stinging cheek.

_So much for first impressions . . ._


	3. 2: What a Jerk

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri

**A/N:** Hello, hello! Welcome back to Never Assume! Many thanks to all reviewers and anyone who alerted and/or favorited. You have no idea how happy that makes me. Also, big thanks to Akitsuki Akira who pointed out two Japanese mistakes I made in the previous chapter. (Hehe, how embarrassing.) I went back and fixed it. Big thanks to the anonymous review "Night Girl", also. Your reviews are so nice! Also, Kaname may be a bit OOC. Again. Sorry about that. This is a re-post, 'cause when I went back and reread the chapter, I automatically went, "Oh, wow, this sucks." It should be better now. Anyways, read on!

* * *

**Suzune's POV  
**I slipped on the white jacket, straightening it out as I turned in front of the mirror. The Night Class uniform was white and fitted well—it was _tailored_, for heaven's sake. Kurosu Academy was one rich school if they could afford tailors. The only thing I didn't like was how the pristine white clashed with my orange hair.

Rearranging the red bow at my neck, I glanced over at Kumori—my heart stopped.

She had come out of the bathroom, pulling the edge of the uniform skirt down. The white ensemble fit perfectly, save for the red ribbon that was clumsily knotted around her neck.

"Oh . . . my . . . gosh," I breathed, eyes wide. Kumori looked up, brushing away a loose strand of her pitch black hair.

I attacked her.

"UWAH! Ku-chan, you're so cute! Kawaii ne _[Very cute]_!" I jumped up and down as I squealed, my fan girly self coming out.

My arms locked around Kumori's neck, I stole a glance at her face, happy to see she was acting like she normally would. Her onyx eyes showed no emotion as she stared down at me, used to my fan girl attacks. Her skin was paler than usual—it was too pale to begin with—but I couldn't blame her; she hadn't fed in over a week.

Untangling myself from Kumori, I giggled when I saw her failed attempt at tying the mandatory red ribbon.

"Clumsy as always," I sighed affectionately, re-tying it. She had never been very good at most hands-on activities.

**Kumori's POV  
**I soon found myself being dragged down to the foyer by Suzune only seconds after she re-tied my ribbon. She sure was energetic at six in the evening . . .

"Hi, Ichijo-kun!" She waved at the smiling blond.

"Hello, Suzune-san. I hope you like our uniforms—"

She hurriedly pulled me in front of her. "Do you see how cute Ku-chan is in it?!" She threw her arms around my waist and squealed.

"How does Kumori-san manage to keep a straight face?" Kain muttered to himself. Ichijo, who was standing beside him, laughed.

"Years of practice, I guess," he replied. "They've been living together for seven years."

Suzune left my side to go talk with Ichijo, the only other vampire who could keep up with her this early in the evening. I glanced around the room, watching the other students. Shiki and Rima were on the couch, splitting a box of Pocky. Kain had moved to the wall beside Aido, who was pouting and whining to his cousin about Suzune, no doubt. Ruka stood behind me by the staircase, waiting for her beloved Kaname.

Beloved Kaname . . .

Beloved . . .

_"It's only a few years before you must choose your beloved . . ."_

That strange look on his face . . .

It was almost like he was . . .

_Scared . . ._

Shaking my father's words from my mind, I started walking to where Suzune was animatedly talking to Ichijo about a manga he read.

"Kumori."

I turned around. Kuran Kaname had arrived. "Hai _[Yes]_, Kuran-sama?"

He glared down at me—he was only about half a head taller, but he somehow managed to act like he was miles above—still a bit miffed that I had slapped him. The rest of the Night Class didn't seem too happy about it either.

"You'll be walking out of the dorm beside me," he said. It wasn't a request.

I blinked. "Doushite _[Why]_?"

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "We walk out by level. Purebloods and the Dorm Vice President lead, nobles follow, then common Level C vampires bring up the end—"

"I'm aware of that." His eyes narrowed at my interruption. "What I meant is why should I walk in the front? I'll go out beside Suzune, where I'm supposed to be."

I turned on my heel and started to leave. Kaname's hand shot out and grabbed my arm, whirling me back around to face him. We were close—our height differences the only thing keeping the three inches between our faces. The room fell silent and tense. Suzune moved towards us, but Ichijo reached out and held her back.

"You are a pureblood," Kaname hissed, his voice sharp and dangerous. A wave of warm air hit my face. "Purebloods walk in the front."

I leaned in, rocking forward onto my toes speak directly in his ear. "You and I both know that I'm many things, but a pureblood is not one of them," I whispered, my voice soft and faint. "My father slapped you because you found out, didn't he?"

His grip on my arm tightened. "What went on between your father and I had nothing to do with you." His voice was just as quiet. This was personal.

"Lies. If I had nothing to do with it, then why slap me?" I had him. There was no way he could back out of telling me what had happened at that party. I would finally find out what my father was hiding from me . . .

His eyes flashed red, but he released my arm. As he turned away and started toward the double doors, he called out over his shoulder, "You _will_ walk out beside me."

I glared into his back, the lights in the foyer briefly flickering off. Kaname was unaffected. The other vampires shuffled nervously, alarmed at the sudden presence of a dark power. Suzune threw me a scared look—in the seven years that we had known each other and lived together, she had never seen me angry enough to subconsciously trigger my ability.

Calming down, I followed Kaname to the head of the group, knowing something went on at that party he wasn't telling—something that concerned me.

When I passed Suzune, I heard her mutter, "What a jerk."

A corner of my lips twitched upwards.

_What a jerk, indeed._


	4. 3: Yes

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri

**A/N:** Hello, hello! Welcome back to Never Assume! Thanks to everyone who's read all the way so far (which isn't much, but whatever). As always, many thanks to reviewers, alerters, and favoriters! You guys make me sooo happy! Oh, and just a note about the way I used "hai": I do use it twice, but once is in Japanese and the other is in English. I figured it would be more dramatic if I put it in English at the end, so if that confuses you, I'm sorry. But anyways, read on!

* * *

**Suzune's POV  
**"Wild-senpai!"

"Marry me, Idol-senpai!"

"Kaname-senpai, I love you!"

I winced. It was bad enough I had to walk beside Aido—separated from Kumori—but _this?_ Screaming girls and love confessions flying everywhere just because of twelve-some hot guys?

This. Was. Torture.

Kumori was about seven paces away, beside Kaname, completely silent. I could tell she was tense and uncomfortable by the way her shoulders bunched up. The pace she set was short and stiff, and her arms were pinned to her side. She was probably staring hard at the ground, dead intent on ignoring the screaming around her. The aura she emanated wasn't very friendly.

**Aido's POV  
**It irked me, seeing the new girl, Suzune, treat me like I was everybody else. She seemed to prize her precious "Ku-chan" the most when she should be prizing me! Why didn't she fall for me like every other girl? Why didn't she swoon at the sight of my wind-blown hair, or my soul-penetrating ice-blue eyes?

"Hanabusa?" Kain's inquiring voice broke through my rant.

If she won't naturally fall in love with me, I'll _make_ her fall for me . . .

"Hanabusa? Why do you have that look on your face? Hanabusa?"

A sly smirk sliding over my lips, I turned to my cousin. "Akatsuki, I have a plan . . ."

Kain sighed. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

**Suzune's POV  
**"**Marry me!"**

"**Look over here!"**

"**We love you, Idol-senpai!"**

The screaming had somehow managed to get louder.

"**Over here!"**

I almost fell flat on my face when I realized it was _Aido_ that was riling up the crowd with his "Hello, Day Class girls! You're looking more and more beautiful every passing day!" speech and his ridiculous posing. Blowing stupid kisses to the fan girls . . . why in the world was Kain not doing anything?! The said cousin was leisurely waking behind Aido, lazily glancing over his fans. How they came up with his nickname "Wild", I had no idea. "Boring" seemed more appropriate.

"A-ah! Please stay back!" A short brunette was trying to hold back the crowd, her arms stretched out as far as they could in a vain attempt to keep the screaming girls away. They pushed forward, knocking the poor girl down.

A tall, silver-haired teen stormed onto the scene. "Why do I have to deal with your stupid 'Kyah! Kyah!' every single day?!"

The girls shrank back in fear, their knees knocking together as they clung onto their shaking neighbors.

"Go back to your dorms!"

The crowd scuttled away—only a few boys remained, trying to get close to Ruka.

Kaname knelt down before the brunette, a soft smile on his face. That surprised me: how hostile he could be with Kumori, but then turn around and handle a human girl so gently. It made me mad, though, to see him treat a mere human better than a pureblood, regardless of how tainted Kumori's blood was.

The girl blushed when she took Kaname's offered hand and stood.

I leaned over to Ichijo, who had slipped to the back of the group with Kumori to wait for Kaname, and asked, "Who's she?"

"That's Kurosu Yuki, the headmaster's adopted daughter. She's on the Disciplinary Committee."

The brunette, Yuki, started talking to Kaname her doe-brown eyes sparkling, her cheeks permanently tinted pink.

"'Disciplinary Committee'?"

"They keep the Day Class from finding out our . . . secret, so to speak. The other member is Kiryu Zero."

The silver-haired teen who had yelled at the girls earlier stepped between Yuki and Kaname, a heated glare directed at the pureblood. I felt an odd sense of déjà vu then . . . something with Aido and Kumori . . .

"A-ano _[U-um]_ . . ." Yuki came up to me, her hands nervously fingering the hem of her jacket. Zero—who had probably been towed from his stare down with Kaname—stood behind her, towering protectively over her small frame. "My name is Yuki. This is my partner Zero. We wanted to welcome you to Kurosu Academy."

"_You_ did. I wanted no part in this," Zero muttered. A slight giggled escaped my lips when Yuki elbowed him in her bow, forcing him down with her.

When they straightened, I introduced myself, dragging Kumori over to introduce her to them as well.

"Tsuki," Zero murmured, looking straight at Kumori, an angry glint in his eye. "Yet another pureblood . . ."

**Kumori's POV  
**I gave an inward sigh. If people would stop stereotyping, if people would stop assuming, if only they would stop and _listen_ . . .

Matching Zero's gaze, I replied softly, "You are mistaken."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I am not—"

"_Kumori."_ That voice came from directly behind me. Suzune tensed at the closeness. Yuki jumped at the suddenness. Zero's hand went instinctively to a bulge at his waist—his gun, no doubt.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Hai _[Yes]_, Kuran-sama?"

"Don't spout such nonsense so freely," he hissed, close enough that the others couldn't hear. "Do you want everyone to know?"

I remained silent. He knew my answer.

"Would you rather I end the Tsuki lineage and put you out of your misery?" A hand crept tauntingly up my back, just behind my heart. He could kill me without hesitation. He _would_ kill me with no hesitation.

I thought about his offer. A world where I wasn't burdened with the pressure of my façade; where I wouldn't be wary of the dark, wary of my own nature. A world where I could laugh freely, smile freely, talking freely without fear of being found out and cast from society. A world where it didn't matter where you came from or who your parents were. A world where pain didn't exist. A world where I wouldn't be lonely.

Cracking my eyes open, I caught Kaname's fierce gaze out of the corner of my eye and held it, his question running through my mind.

"_Would you rather I end the Tsuki lineage and put you out of your misery?"_

Still staring in his eyes, I answered the question.

"Yes."


	5. 4: Shed Blood

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri, Hello Kitty © Sanrio, Snoopy © Charles M. Schulz

**A/N:** Hiya, everyone! Thanks for taking time to read Never Assume. As usual, lotsa love for anyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited. (Also, big thanks to DarkVampirePrincess8 who did all three _and_ author alerted me. You make me so happy!) Anyway, read on! (Aren't you glad I made this chapter long?)

* * *

**Kumori's POV  
**The affect was immediate. Kaname's hand—which was on my back, directly behind my heart—clenched, trapping three layers of white cloth and my skin underneath his fingers. I bit my lip and fisted my hands to keep the pain from rising to my facial expression, but Suzune still noticed. Her eyes sharpened on the hand pinching my skin, ready to pounce if any call of distress escaped my lips. Zero had noticed as well; with a whip of his arm, he had his gun pointed at Kaname's face. The name "Bloody Rose" was scrawled in elegant cursive down the barrel.

"Z-Zero?!" Yuki had remained oblivious to my pain, which I was glad about—she could live her life blissfully unaware of my burden, without the need to worry about me—but she wasn't ignorant of her partner's sudden hostility.

"Let her go." Zero's tone was deadly, but I could hear slight disbelief underneath.

_I bet he never planned on pulling the Bloody Rose on a vampire so he could save another,_ I thought, smiling crookedly inside. _Oh, the irony._

**Suzune's POV  
**Kaname whispered something in Kumori's ear before he let her go. Her shoulders relaxed from their stiff position when he bid a gentle farewell to Yuki—who still had no idea what was going on—and left. Zero lowered his gun and sent Yuki off to start patrolling. When she was out of sight, he turned to Kumori and demanded an explanation.

"I just saved you!" he yelled at her, frustrated by her blank responses and his earlier actions. "That was the last thing I wanted to do! I'm a vampire hunter; I _kill_ vampires, not _save_ them!"

"Can't you see she's injured?" I stepped forward, gesturing to her back. "She's not in the mood for answering your stupid demands!"

"I'm fine," Kumori stated, her voice emotionless. "We're going to be late to class."

Pouting, I followed her to the classroom, leaving Zero angry and unanswered.

"Ku-chan, are you really alright?" I asked, taking the seat beside her.

Crossing her legs, she absently nodded, staring out the window at the midnight sky, silently admiring the twinkling stars and the full moon. I sighed, a small smile on my face. In the seven years I had known her, she never ceased to be amazed by the night sky.

A white-clothed thigh landed itself on the edge of my desk. I blinked and looked up to see Aido's face. His eyes were smoldering and a seductive smirk was set on his lips.

"Mou _[Oh, you]_."

He was unfazed by my blunt greeting.

"So . . ."

His voice was deep, inviting. He was clearly trying to impress somebody. I threw a glance around the room, trying to figure out who it was. Ruka sat in front of Kaname, who was reading a book, examining her nails. Ichijo sat beside the pureblood, happily chatting to the vampire, who offered a nod or two between pages. Shiki and Rima sat near the front, engaged in their own conversation. Kain was a few tables over, watching everyone else with a bored expression, but I could see him sneaking occasional glances our way. Surely Aido wasn't trying to impress his cousin . . . ?!

"Suzune . . ." His voice brought me back from the strange reverie. "You come here often?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kain's head drop to the table with a loud _thump_. I could've sworn he muttered something along the lines of, "Stupid Hanabusa . . . stupid pick-up line . . ."

Turning my attention to the blond who sat on my desk, I raised an eyebrow. This was the best pick-up line Hanabusa Aido, Kurosu Academy's legendary ladies' man, could come up with?

You've gotta be kidding me.

"Yes, Aido, in fact I do come here quite often, and I'll continue to come here because _this is where I attend school._"

His composure slipped and he cringed off my desk, embarrassed. "R-right. I knew that." A light blush covered his cheeks when he scurried back to his seat beside Kain, whose face was still on the table.

The rest of class was uneventful, save for when Aido tripped going up to the board because I winked at him. Man, the rest of the school year's gonna be _fun_ . . .

**Kumori's POV  
**I climbed into bed, exhausted. Dealing with Kaname was emotionally draining. Suzune plopped on the bed only three feet away, cocooning herself in the sheets. I was glad I didn't have to share a bed with her: she was a blanket hogger and I was prone to the cold.

Too tired to bother with the covers, I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me . . .

--

_I hugged myself, trying to keep what warmth I could in the bitter cold. My ten-year-old frame was small and shaking; only a thin shawl hung around my shoulders in the dead of winter. The blood in my veins froze, but it wasn't because of the weather._

_A tall, lean figure bent down to my level, taking my chin, forcing my gaze upward. My eyes met his red, blood-thirsty ones, wide and crazed by years of bloodlust. Only one word was running through my mind then:_

_Run._

_My feet remained anchored to the snow-covered ground, refusing to take flight no matter how urgent and desperate the situation was. The figure—a man, no, a _monster_—held me there, just with his demented gaze._

"_Kumori-sama?"_

"_Ku-chan! Where are you?"_

_My nanny and the girl I had rescued the week before were looking for me. _

_The figure chuckled darkly, sending a jolt of fear through my body. He always did that before something bad happened . . ._

_Emiko-san . . ._

_Suzune . . ._

"_I won't hurt them, I promise."_

_His promises meant nothing._

"_I'll spare them today."_

_What about tomorrow?_

"_But remember this: I _will_ find you."_

_He disappeared, but his words didn't. I stood there, staring at the two footprints left in the snow. He may not keep promises, but he kept one thing:_

_Death threats._

--

". . . you mean? Ku-chan needs her rest."

"I know, but he's very insistent."

Suzune stood beside our dorm door, quietly quarrelling with someone on the other side. She hardly looked intimidating in her pink Hello Kitty pajamas and Snoopy slippers, but the other person was wary of arguing with her.

"Tell him to give up! It's almost noon. What does he want that's so important?" she whispered, frustrated and tired.

The other person sighed. "I don't know, but he wants her now."

I slipped quietly from the bed, wanting to know what was happening.

"He can talk to her at a more reasonable hour later!"

"Who can?" I asked, watching Suzune start. She obviously hadn't seen me.

"Ah! Ku-chan! Did we wake you?" Her usual frantic self came out, desperate to please me.

Glancing out the crack the semi-open door provided, I saw Ichijo standing there, fully dressed.

"Kaname-sama wants to see you," he simply said as if it would answer all the questions in the world. Oddly enough, it did.

I nodded and reached for the door handle, ignoring Suzune's questioning look.

_I had forgotten about that . . ._

"Ku-chan!" Suzune pulled me back into the darkness of our dorm. "You can't go out like that!"

I glanced down at what I was wearing, the action making my head swim. The usual over-sized long-sleeved button-up I always wore to sleep. The first button had fallen off and the neckline now draped a little off my shoulder. The sleeves hung several inches past my fingertips and the hem barely reached the middle of my thigh.

I could see the dilemma.

"Go change, Ku-chan!" Suzune—who had changed into my fashion consultant, seeing as I had no fashion sense whatsoever—pushed me toward the closet.

"Suzune, Kumori-san is going to be there just a little while," Ichijo said. "What she wears really doesn't matter." Like Suzune would care about that in fashion-mode.

She gave my pajamas a small, disapproving frown but let me go. "Tell Kaname to be quick about it, Ichijo."

With a nod in her direction, Ichijo led me to Kaname's room. As we approached his door, a shiver ran down my spine. I didn't know if it was because of the thick, suffocating aura around his room, or because the hallway was a bit chilly.

Ichijo knocked on the door.

A faint voice called out, "Come in."

I went in first, amazed at the magnitude of the dorm. It was at least twice the size of the room Suzune and I shared, and our dorm was pretty large.

Ichijo stuck his head in after me and told Kaname, who was lounging on the couch, a book in his hands, "Suzune says to be quick about it," before he left, silently shutting the door behind him.

Kaname sat up, setting his book aside. He stared at me for a moment and said, "You're late."

"Gomen nasai _[I'm sorry]_." I apologized, but didn't bow. There was no need to keep up appearances when nobody was watching.

The room fell silent.

"Why did you call me here?" The question was simple, innocent, but the air became tense and burdened as soon as it slipped past my lips.

Kaname's gaze bore into my own, carefully calculating what my response would be. I watched his mind work, carefully hidden behind his guarded maroon eyes. A small battled raged on, two sides sparring over a verdict.

_So he's indecisive . . . but why? Over what?_

"Kumori," he began, still split between the two sides. "Would you really rather die than to have others perceive you as a pureblood?"

My answer was obvious, so why did he even bother to ask? There was silence from my half.

"You're born into the Tsuki family. Others will see you as a pureblood regardless of what you tell them."

I shook my head. The room started to spin. "Why should I live my life in denial of who I am?"

Kaname's eyes narrowed. His decision was made. "You're being selfish."

"I'm being reasonable." My chest tightened. I couldn't force air into my lungs.

"Don't you think who you are might affect other people?"

"Who I am affects me." Spots of black appeared at the edges of my vision, considerably dimming the room.

"Think about your family's status."

"Maybe it's time for them to step down." My voice lost its strength and I started to sway . . .

**Kaname's POV  
**I caught the defiant girl before she hit the ground. Her head rolled toward my chest, eyes closed, cheeks flushed. Picking her up—one arm under her legs and the other wrapped around her back—I instantly knew what made her faint:

She was sick.

The thin shirt she wore—which revealed a sizable amount of neck—did little to hide the burning body. Her eyebrows furrowed together and a small frown tugged at the corners of her lips. A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead.

Setting Kumori gently down on my bed, I turned to head for the infirmary. Her warm hand shot out and grabbed the end of my sleeve. I turned back, sparks of electricity prickling the skin near her hand. Eyes still closed, she started to mutter something feverishly under her breath. Locks of long black hair tumbled on the bed sheets, framing her unsettled face.

I took a seat on the edge of the bed, letting Kumori grasp my hand. After a few moments, she let go. Her face smoothed and she rested peacefully, her chest rising and falling slowly, lips parted with wisps of air flowing through.

I leaned forward, my body and face only inches from hers. Her hand was still in mine.

"You don't know how much trouble you're causing," I whispered, my throat dry. "Your father's gone to such lengths to ensure your secret never gets out to the public, but here you are, more than willing to blurt it out. What's wrong with you?'

His words came back to me.

"_No one can find out about her mother. For all they know, she died in child birth."_

My fingertips reached out to brush away a lock of her hair, but I hesitated. She could be precious, someone treasured. Someone loved. But one simple mistake prevented that—prevented her happiness.

"Why else do you think I've been so harsh with you?" I sighed, withdrawing my hand. My temper had flared several times since her arrival. "I know everything, Kumori. I know about your mother, about your past."

I bent in, pressing my forehead against hers.

"I know about 'Shadow'."

--

"_He's back, Kuran," Yagari stated, leaning casually back against his desk. "The half-Level E. 'Shadow'. There have been a couple sightings in the last few days, all on the path to Kurosu Academy."_

_I stared at the vampire hunter, silently processing the information._

"_We have good reason to believe he's coming after her." A sneer slid across his face. "Your fiancée."_

_I started to leave the room. The stupid girl and her friend were coming here, to Kurosu Academy. It was her father's work, no doubt._

"_He's back from his seven-year hiatus, Kuran," Yagari called out to me. "And he's ready to shed blood."_


	6. 5: To Death

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri

**A/N:** Hi everyone! A warm welcome back to Never Assume, as usual. Thank you anybody who reviewed, favorited, or alerted. (Special thanks to Death-ducky who did two of the three. You made me smile!) Sorry it took me longer than usual to get this chapter out. (School's almost over, and the teachers still insist on giving us homework.) Anyways, read on!

* * *

**Suzune's POV  
**Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.

Turn.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.

Turn.

Step. Step. Step—

"Would you quit that already?!" Aido glared at me, his right eye twitching. My worried pacing was getting on everybody's nerves.

"I thought you were trying to woo her," Kain muttered to his cousin.

Aido growled. "Even _my_ wooing as an extent."

I stood still—ignoring the short and rather insulting conversation between the two nobles—trying to contain myself. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I got. The more anxious I got . . .

The foyer fell silent.

"Suzune-san, you're doing it again."

I glanced at Ichijo, and he looked pointedly at my body. My right foot was impatiently tapping the floor at amazing speed, fingers uneasily strumming the spine of a thick book in my hands. My gaze would go to the top of the staircase every few minutes.

"Oh." I gave a nervous laugh. "Gomen ne _[Sorry]_."

Another lapse of silence fell over the foyer.

_Where is she?_ I wondered, starting to panic. It was the longest I had ever been from Kumori. _She's hardly ever late. And she didn't come back to our dorm in the afternoon . . ._

A sudden thought struck me.

_What if something happened to her?_

I unconsciously started to pace.

_Who was the last person to see her? Wasn't it . . . Kaname?_

"Suzune-san, stop doing that."

_Yeah. He called for her around noon, didn't he? Ichijo said he had something to talk about._

"Suzune-san, you're gonna wear a hole in the floor if you keeping pacing like that."

_Stupid Kaname. He probably did something . . ._

"Uh, Suzune-san, are you the one making that vase levitate?"

_I'm gonna _murder_ him if he touched one little hair on her head._

"Aido, watch your feet. The vase broke. Did—Suzune-san? Suzune-san, where are you going?"

I stormed up the staircase with Ichijo and Aido following behind, probably to make sure I didn't do anything stupid. As I neared Kaname's door, someone grabbed my arm. I whirled around, coming face-to-face with Ichijo.

"_What?"_ He cringed at my tone.

"What are you doing?" he whispered, glancing briefly at the door. "You can't just barge in there."

"Watch me."

Pulling my arm back, I turned and threw the door open. It slammed into the wall, dangling from the second hinge at a crooked angle. A fist-sized hole formed where the doorknob flew into the plaster.

Kaname looked up calmly, his hands giving the hem of his jacket a firm tug, successfully straightening it out. He didn't seem to be the least bit disturbed by my entrance, which ticked me off, to say at the least. I had spent a lot of time and energy planning it.

"Where. Is. She."

He stared at me for a moment before his eyes flicked to his left. I followed his gaze, my sight landing on an oversized bed. There, laying snug in the thick comforter, was Kumori. Her long, dark hair fanned out over the bed sheets; a pale shoulder peeked out from underneath the tangled mess. An arm—bare and exposed—lay extended on the pillow above her head like she was in the middle of a pirouette. Her cheeks were tainted pink.

Silence.

"K-Kaname-sama . . . d-did you . . . ?" Aido's voice trailed off weakly, voicing the question in all of our minds. Ichijo stood a little behind him, wearing a scandalized expression.

Kaname sighed, but I could have sworn his lips twitched upwards into a smirk for just a moment. "It's not what you think," he replied, calm and reassuring.

Aido's mouth closed, and he glanced between Kaname and Kumori, calculating something. A wide grin suddenly appeared on his face.

"Was she any good?"

I immediately hurled my book at him. "Don't say stuff like that, you pervert!"

Due to Aido's ridiculously quick reaction time, he unfortunately managed to catch the book before it could hit him square in the head. He stole a glimpse at the cover.

"How can a ditzy girl like you read something like _this?!_" He shook the 2003 World Almanac in my face. Poor thing.

I blinked. "It's just light reading, Aido."

"You read outdated material for _fun?_"

"I was bored. Can you blame me?"

Someone sighed, the light breeze blowing a loose lock of hair from one of my carefully crafted pigtails. "Yes."

My spine snapped straight and a certain gleam came to my eyes. Ichijo and Aido started to back away. Even Kaname looked a little apprehensive.

"Ku-_chaaan!_"

I spun around, throwing my arms around the head-taller girl. Affectionately rubbing my face against her arm, my cheek came in contact with a smooth, cotton sleeve.

_Ah. So she _is_ dressed._

Stepping back, I started to examine her for damage. She seemed fine, like her usual early evening self—one hand in her tangled hair, the other shaking down an over-lengthened sleeve, glancing around the room through half-lidded eyes, a yawn just about to escape her lips—but a faint blush remained permanently glued to her cheeks.

There also happened to be one on Aido, who was ogling over Kumori's long, barely-covered legs. I reached out and whacked him on the back of his head. Hopefully it was hard enough that he would lose his sight for an hour or two.

"Well?" Aido turned toward Kaname, his eyes expectant. "_Was_ she any good?"

Nope. No such luck. His sight was still 20-20.

I let out an aggravated sigh, clenching and unclenching my fists. A pen on Kaname's desk rose a few inches, the tip pointed at Aido. "Do you _want_ to die early?"

He cowered behind Ichijo, who held his hands up as a sign of surrender. "Now, now, Suzune-san. Let's calm down . . ."

"I don't want—!" The lights flickered once before plunging into darkness. An overwhelming sense of death boomed in the room. "—to . . ."

_This presence . . . this darkness . . . it's so . . . _familiar_ . . ._

"Ku-chan!"

I turned just in time to see her collapse, the pale, fragile body falling in a heap to the ground. Black marks flitted across her illuminating skin. Dark, wide eyes stared at the window, mouth open in a mute scream. She was terrified—no, _petrified._

My blood iced over. Kumori wasn't scared of anything.

"Leave." Ichijo took one last glance before herding us out the door at Kaname's soft command. I stole a desperate glimpse at the still pile, fighting Aido's grip on my arm.

"K-Ku-chan! Lemme go, Aido. What happened to her?"

Out of the corner of my eye, a lone shadow ran across a branch from behind the curtains.

"Wait, there's—!"

All eyes followed my flailing finger to the window.

"Suzune-san, there's nothing there," Ichijo patiently explained.

"No, something was—"

The shadow came back, seeming to look into the room.

"There!"

Everyone turned. Nothing.

Aido placed his hand on my shoulder, the other still griping my arm. "Suzune, daijobu ka _[are you alright]_?"

I shook his so-called "support" off. "I'm fine! And perfectly sane. But I'm telling you, there was something outside that window."

Ichijo and Aido exchanged looks. I knew what they were thinking. Ichijo took my hands in his, catching my eyes in his soft gaze. "Suzune-san, your stress level is higher than normal because you've just transferred to a new school, and you're worried about Kumori, so it might be possible that you're—"

"I'm not crazy!" I staggered back, ripping my hands from his. "I'm not hallucinating! Why won't you believe me? There was something out there!"

"A shadow?"

My eyes flashed at Kaname's calm voice. Was he mocking me? Did he dare to mock my statement?

_No._

I let out quavering breath.

_No. He can't be. Not with eyes that . . ._

His gaze was cold, harsh. Unforgiving.

_. . . serious._

"Yeah, a shadow. Tall. Lean. It . . . it looked like a person."

Kaname's lips thinned and his eyes narrowed. The aura around him grew considerably stronger—angrier.

I shivered. The pureblood meant war.

"Ichijo, get the Night Class to their classes," Kaname ordered, his tone contradicting his mood. "I'll be staying here with Kumori."

_Kumori._

_Ku-chan._

The back of my throat burned; my vision blurred. All the anger dissipated and my shoulders slumped, suddenly very weary. What were those marks on her body? What if they took over her? What if she didn't survive? What if . . .

What if she died?

I choked down a sob.

"Suzune." Kaname's eyes were soft, sympathetic. "She's just sick."

Brushing away a stray tear, I managed to let out a strangled laugh. "Well, she didn't sleep with the covers on when I checked in the morning. She has a weak immune system, y'know."

"I know."

Staring at Kaname, I let the confusion rise to my facial expression. "You do?"

He blinked, caught off guard. Just how much did he know about Kumori? I thought all her records were sealed . . .

"Hey!" Aido's loud voice bounced off the dark walls. He and Ichijo were already at the staircase. It seemed that the light shortage Kumori caused wasn't only in the pureblood's room. "You coming, or what?"

Kaname was already closing the door. I quickly stuck my foot in the thinning crack.

"Kaname—" He frowned a little at how informally I addressed him. "—I'm holding you accountable, so take good care of her, okay?"

"You have my word."

I turned and ran to catch up with the other two vampires, the knot in my chest tightening. Kumori never did three things in front of me: get angry, get scared, or cry. The first of the three was done when she refused to walk out of the Moon Dorm beside Kaname. The lights had flickered off. I had yet to see her cry, but when she was on the ground in Kaname's room, she was terrified. Raw fear emanated from her body.

Whatever was outside that window scared her half to death. Maybe even _to_ death.


	7. 6: Found You

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri

**A/N:** Hello, people! Yes, I am still alive. Alive as it gets on summer break, anyway. Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts, and for sticking with me during my brief hiatus. I apologize for the length—I thought it would be longer. Also, shout-out to BlackenedRose13: I tried putting more description in this chapter. And I really hope Kaname isn't as OOC. What'd you think? Read on, people. Read on!

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**Kumori's POV  
**_The cold pricked at my skin, nipping at what the oversized button-up shirt didn't cover. I lost all feeling past my knees; hypothermia was starting to set in. The cold metal tabletop numbed my back and upper parts of both arms. Water dripped from the ceiling somewhere, a steady metronome three times slower than my heart. It wasn't until I blinked did I realize my eyes were open._

_What was this place? An abandoned warehouse, perhaps? How long have I been here? One, two days? Weeks? Maybe even a couple of months?_

_Footsteps approached. They were thick, heavy, each step bouncing off the walls and echoing in the dark room. Everything about the person—if it even _was_ a person—screamed finality. My heart pounded in my chest. I could picture it ricocheting off one set of ribs to the other and back._

_The footsteps stopped. I could feel the body heat only inches away. A chuckle escaped into the air, deep and alluring. The same voice was purring only moments later. "Kumori-chan . . ."_

_My heart stopped. I could recognize that voice anywhere. The only thing that kept me on the metal table were leather restraints binding my wrists and ankles, but I could have sworn they weren't there earlier._

_A hot breath pulsed by my ear as the man—no, the monster—whispered, still in that seductive tone,_

"_I found you."_

**Third Person  
**The students inside the Moon Dorm glanced at each other uneasily. They knew the power shortage in the dorm was no accident. It was undoubtedly the new pureblood's fault; she had done it before, briefly, so why couldn't she do it again? All eyes watched as Aido, Ichijo, and Suzune made their way down from the top of the staircase. They waited, but neither pureblood came afterwards to join them. This both worried and relieved the students. Kumori would not be present to make arrogant remarks or insult their beloved leader. But it was highly unusual for Kaname to miss class.

"Where's Kaname-sama and Kumori-sama?" one student ventured to ask.

Ichijo smiled patiently, but it didn't manage to make it to his eyes. Instead, the sparkling green orbs were tensed and worried. "Kumori-san is sick."

"And Kaname-sama?"

"He's staying behind with her."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.

**Kaname's POV  
**I stood by the window, staring out across the courtyard. Silence fell in the room, quieting my racing thoughts.

The sky was a royal blue, softly fading to a light shade by the time it reached the tips of the towering trees surrounding Kurosu Academy. I had cracked open the window; a light wind swept in, brushing against the dark tresses that fell on my forehead. With it came a sense of foreboding.

Cloth rustled. "He's coming for me, isn't he?"

My eyes wandered over to Kumori's small frame. She had curled herself into a tight ball at the foot of my bed, a pillow grasped in an unyielding hold against her chest. Dark, wide eyes locked into my every move, burning with intensity. Her skin was chalk white, and tangled black hair laid on her back and wrapped around her shoulders. It looked like she just woke from a nightmare. She did.

I held her frightened gaze. "I believe so."

She let out a quavering breath, her eyes fixing themselves on the pillow she was squeezing the life out of. A stray thread found its way to her fingers and she began fidgeting with it. "They're coming back, then. The tests, the experiments, the . . ." Her voice cracked on the last word. ". . . the needles."

I stared at the shaking ball. What had she been through? How could such a headstrong girl be reduced to this? I had read her sealed files, but none of them mentioned the extent of the injuries she sustained in her childhood.

My heated glare went to the trees just outside Kurosu Academy's iron gates.

_You will not get away with this, "Shadow"._

**Third Person  
**He was pleased with himself. Out of all the students—vampires—at Kurosu Academy, only she had noticed his presence. And her reaction was _very_ satisfying. However, he was not expecting for her to completely black out the Moon Dorm and create mass chaos for the fan girls waiting outside.

_So she has embraced her new element, I see._

Her friend had seen him as well, but the other two nobles didn't believe her shouting and finger jabbing. But the pureblood, Kuran Kaname, was not so easily fooled—he knew. The man leaned back on his perch in the tree, propping himself against the rough trunk.

_It doesn't matter if Kuran Kaname knows I'm already here. Saves me the trouble of having to introduce myself later._

He licked his lips, his tongue darting out from behind two sharp fangs. Her picture appeared in his mind: her long, silky hair and dark, somber eyes.

"Oh, Kumori-chan . . ."

His voice was deep, and could even seduce the siren herself. One corner of his lip was tugged higher than the other in an attractive, arrogant smirk.

"_. . . I found you."_


	8. 7: My Savior

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight © Hino Matsuri

**A/N:** Hey, y'all! I'm really, _really_ sorry I haven't updated since . . . July, was it? Wow, three months. Anyway, sorry! I moved back to my birth state not long ago and had all the unpacking/new environment crap piled on top of me. Plus, school just started, so I'm still adjusting to that as well. But I've finally finished the chapter! So read, read, read! (And BlackenedRose13, I know the first POV is really short, but bear with me, okay?)

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**Suzune's POV  
**I was worried. Of course I was worried. It was _Kumori_, for heaven's sake. My best friend. It was more than that, actually. I lived with her since I was eleven. We were practically blood sisters. If it was anybody else that was sick and had weird black things all over her body, I probably would say something along the lines of, "Psh, whatever," or "What a freak." But it wasn't anybody else. Because it was Kumori.

"Heaven help me," I whimpered, dropping my head onto my hands.

**Aido's POV  
**She was sitting by herself in the seat Kumori normally occupied. Her shoulders slumped, head in her hands. Dull, limp orange hair fell over her face, hiding her expression. A few shaky sighs escaped, and her body would tremble. She looked . . . defeated. Utterly defeated.

The other students regarded her with either distaste or curiosity, or they ignored her all together. Some blamed Kumori through her for Kaname's absence in class. Some blamed her just for being Kumori's—Kaname's "enemy"—friend. Others were curious as to why she was so upset; Kumori supposedly only had the "flu" and was going to "get better" soon.

"_Suzune."_

"Hm? You say something?" Kain glanced lazily over to me, bored on break. There were fifteen more minutes until Yagari came back, and that was just to spout pointless information we'd "need" later in life.

I shook my head. "No. You're hearing things, Akatsuki." _Did . . . did I really just say her name out loud?_

He gave a nonchalant shrug. "Whatever. Thought you said 'Suzune'."

_Crap. He heard._

Leaning back in my seat, I feigned amusement, but my shoulders were tight with apprehension. "Why would I say that?"

Kain propped his head up on the palm of his hand. "Relax, Hanabusa. It's not that big of a deal."

Forcing my body to relax, I let out a long sigh, trying to reassure myself. _It's no big deal, Aido. No big deal._ Glancing around the room, my eyes landed on Suzune's lonely figure. _Maybe I should go tal—_

"Aren't you gonna go talk to her?"

I flinched. It was kind of creepy how well Kain and I knew each other.

"Well?"

Crossing my arms, I asked, "Why should I?" with a childish pout on my face. We both knew I was just being stubborn.

"What happened to your plan? It's a good time to find out more about her. Besides, your last attempt was horrible."

Blood rushed like a flood to my cheeks.

"Honestly, Hanabusa. 'You come here often?' Even _I_ know pick-up lines better than that."

"U-urusai _[Sh-shut up]_!"

"What did you expect her to say? 'Oh, yes, Aido-kun. _So_ often, in fact, that we should start dating!'"

"I-I'm warning you, Akat—"

"And then you'd date her, break her heart, and leave her longing after you like all the other fan girls? Or would you two get married and live happily ever after?"

I stood up and marched over to where Suzune sat—tomato red—dead intent on proving my cousin wrong, and to get away from his taunting. It was only when I reached her desk did I realize that he had used reverse psychology.

_Crap! Stupid Akatsuki and his stupid mind games,_ I cursed in my head as Suzune's puffy, bloodshot eyes met mine, somehow feeling his victorious smirk from the other side of the classroom.

"Ano _[Um]_ . . ."

_What do I say?!?_ My mind was frantically searching its database for a reasonable subject to talk about.

Suzune managed a weak scowl past her runny nose. "What do _you_ want?" she growled, voice hoarse.

"Well, you see, I was, uh, wondering . . ."

_What am I wondering?!? Aido, _think!

Her scowl grew, eyes narrowing. A few sheets of loose leaf on her desk rippled; I shuddered to think about what paper cuts would do to my complexion.

"How did you and Kumori first meet?" Blurting out the first thing that crossed my mind, I wanted to kick myself. _Way to make it sound like they're dating, Aido. Good going._

It might have been a trick of the light, but her scowl lifted for a second before coming back harsher than ever. "What's it to you?"

"N-nothing. I just . . . wanna know." A wince quickly followed the end of my bad cover-up. _'I just wanna know'? Jeez, Aido, is your brain vacationing in the Caribbean?!?_

Cue Suzune's heated glare.

"Well, 'cause you and Kumori arrived at Kurosu Academy at the same time, right? And you're always together, so I figured you two must've known each other before. And you're always randomly hugging her, and jumping on her, and talking to her, and you seem to know her really, really well. And Kaname-sama seems to know her pretty well, too, so I thought if maybe you knew her, maybe you'd know how Kaname-sama knows her since you've known her so long, but that's an assumption since I don't actually know that, 'cause I haven't let you . . . explain . . . yet . . ."

Cue my rambling.

Suzune raised an eyebrow, one corner of her lips quirked upward. Her eyes had a dull twinkle, but a twinkle nonetheless, like she used to before Kumori got the "flu". Head leaning against the window, she regarded me with an amused expression.

"You're that curious, huh?"

Blushing, I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. "I guess." _It was all pretty spontaneous, actually._

She sat forward and tapped her chin with an index finger, thinking back. I pulled up a chair and settled myself across from her.

"She's been my anchor since I officially met her about seven years ago—"

"'Officially'?"

She sent me an annoyed glare. "I had heard of the Tsuki family like everyone else, but I hadn't actually _met_ them, y'know?"

"Ah. Gotcha."

"Can I continue now, or do you have any other questions about the first sentence? Grammatical structure problems or anything?"

"Iie _[No]_, iie."

"Good. Like I said, I officially met her about seven years ago . . ."

**Suzune's POV  
**_I was ten then, my eleventh birthday only three weeks away. My mother was busy planning for the big party behind closed doors in the master bedroom. She was always tired, her voice rough. I'd always hear the same excuses: "Mommy stayed up all night getting ready for your big day," or "Daddy and I couldn't decide on a color for the balloons."_

_They argued a lot, my parents. Sometimes, when it got really heated, I would hear them from my room on the other end of the hall. It never really bothered me though, because my mother would always smile the next morning like nothing had happened. And I believed her. Mommy and Daddy were just arguing over little things._

_It was a few days after their latest disagreement when the decorations for my birthday—only thirteen days away—were due to arrive. My mother and I stood outside to wait for the truck, bundled in thick winter coats. I remember insisting to stay with Mommy so I could play in the snow._

_The cold had managed to seep through my coat as I lay on the ground making snow angels. Innocent white flakes were still falling as I paused in mid-jumping jack form, my warm breath clouding the air._

"_Suzu-chan, you'll catch a cold if you stay on the ground much longer." Wise words sang from my mother's mouth._

_I rolled my head towards her and childishly stuck out my tongue like most six-year-olds did. "We're _vampires_, Mommy. Vampires don't get stick that easily."_

_She laughed, the ends of her eyes creasing and her pearly white teething showing. "True, true. But in ten minutes you're going inside. We may be vampires, but we still get sick."_

_I moped a little while before rolling around in the snow some more. It must've been a pretty strange sight to see a ten-year-old all poofed up in thick winter wear rocking back and forth on the flaked ground. Eventually I got tired and just laid there, listening to light chirps as two small birds flew together overhead, their paths weaving together gracefully._

_A sudden thought occurred to me. "Mommy, where do birds go in the winter?"  
_

_No reply._

"_Mommy?"_

_I noticed then how quiet it had become. My mother's gay laugh no longer floated in the air, nor did I hear the quiet engine of a limo that was turning the corner. Propping my self up on my elbows, I took in the scene before me._

_My mother stood on the front steps of our modest house, hugging herself. The winter temperature reddened the tip of her nose and both her cheeks. Thick, rich red hair framed her pale face, tumbling onto the green knitted scarf snugly wrapped around her neck. _

_My father stood opposite her, his cheeks also tainted pink, but I just knew it wasn't from the weather. His black leather jacket, speckled with white, was stretched taut over broad, tense shoulders. Spiky, platinum blond hair only intensified his electric blue eyes as he glared, searing harshly into my mother's docile brown ones._

_I watched silently as they stared each other down. Everything suddenly seemed like a weapon. The garden shears propped up against the front of the house by my mother's feet; one good swing and bam! No head. A dead tree branch yet to be cleared away lay on the white lawn. I couldn't help but wonder how much blood there would be if someone were to pick up the hefty object and jab it into a naked eye or a certain male body part . . ._

_My father broke the tense atmosphere. With a few long, easy strides, he stood directly in front of my mother. I blinked, and it was over. She sprawled out over the snow, head bowed. Wavy red locks covered her face._

_He had backhanded her._

"_M . . . Mommy?" I sounded weak, uncertain. Scared._

_It was a while before she stirred and shakily got to her feet, saying nothing. My father looked smug—triumphant even, when his head held high and shoulders drawn back. Almost like a hunter standing over his dead prey._

"_This . . ."_

_My father clenched his hands, knuckles cracking. His prey was fighting back._

"_This is _exactly_ why I plan on putting Suzune in an orphanage! How long will it be before you starting hitting her, too?"_

_I stopped listening halfway though her angry cry. My mother—my own flesh and blood—was going to give me up?_

"_She's _my_ daughter! _I'm_ the one whose sperm got you pregnant! You need my consent before you can do anything drastic!"_

_My father was shouting back. The fight once hidden in the master bedroom had begun, and I was no longer safe at the other end of the hall, drowsy with sleep._

"_I'm not going to stand by and watch you abuse her when you come home drunk! An orphanage would be safer."_

"_Suzune isn't going anywhere _near_ an orphanage without my say so."_

_A car door slammed shut. I turned to see who had arrived. Maybe they were the orphanage caretakers, here to take me away._

_It was the limo I had heard earlier sitting on the slick road, engine idle. How long had it been there? How much had the occupants heard? Neither of the adults seemed to notice._

_Snow crunched softly nearby. "I'll take her in."_

_My parents continued arguing, ignoring the soft-spoken girl. She looked to be my age, which surprised me. I expected her to be an adult by the way she made the situation sound like she was talking about bringing something inside. Long, dark side-swept hair rested on the shoulders and back of her fashionable winter coat. Calm eyes stared steadily at my parents, patiently waiting until they acknowledged her presence._

"_A-ano . . ."_

_The dark-haired girl looked at me, her eyes oddly blank. "Hai _[Yes]_?"_

"_Who . . . who are you?"_

_She blinked slowly, long, snow-caught eyelashes brushing against her pale cheeks. "You don't recognize me?"_

_I shook my head dumbly, starting to wonder if she was some type of high class aristocrat I was supposed to bow to._

_A light smile teased her lips upwards, her eyes starting to warm. "Good," was all she said, and she left it at that._

_Little did I know I had just met my savior._


End file.
